Chattanooga Climbs in National Rankings

Nov. 25, 2015

As native Chattanoogans know, the Scenic City provides a great place to work, live and play. The city nurtures a thriving entrepreneurial scene, the cost of living falls well below average and a 10-minute drive out of downtown takes you to some of the most breathtaking vistas this side of the Rockies.

The New York Times recently noted that “the signs of growth in Chattanooga are unmistakable.”

Rankings tout Chattanooga’s high quality of life, low cost of living and business opportunities, including:

Outside Magazine – America’s Best Town: Chattanooga eclipsed 63 other American cities to be crowned “America’s Best Town” by Outside Magazine. More than 1.7 million votes were cast in the bracket-style competition, and Chattanooga won for its “quantity and quality of adventure playgrounds,” an abundance of “record stores, coffeehouses, and restaurants, and breweries,” the bonus of “reasonably priced homes,” and a “huge startup scene and a great outdoor community.”

Entrepreneur - The 25 Best Large-Company Cultures in 2015: Bellhops is a standout Chattanooga startup that connects people who are moving with its network of 10,000 “bellhops” (movers). The company has raised more than $6 million in funding and Entrepreneur Magazine recently ranked it No. 4 on its list of “25 Best Large-Company Cultures.” The ranking “recognizes businesses that have successfully instilled a high-performance culture in their workplace,” and Bellhops scored a 94.6 out of a possible 100.

Gallup-Healthways – State of American Well-Being: Last year, Gallup-Healthways released its report ‘2014 Community Well-Being Rankings,’ which examined the well-being of America’s 100 largest cities (2014 is the most recent year the report was published). The report looked at five elements of well-being: purpose, social, financial, community and physical. Chattanooga scored high, with the 14th best overall well-being in the country, but was notably the No. 1 city for social well-being. The report defined social well-being as “having supportive relationships and love in your life.” Chattanoogans are 6 percent more likely to receive “positive energy” from friends and family. In addition, the city ranked No. 2 for community well-being, which was defined as "liking where you live, feeling safe and having pride in your community.”